The "breather" issue is a tradition in classic super-hero storytelling, and it's a style that Geoff Johns has done very well in places like JSA and Flash, among others. Teen Titans #7 is that kind of issue, a check-in on a variety of castmembers that adds a few new details into their personal lives but is generally just sort of an introduction to the current status quo of the characters and a catch-up for how the latest epic story has affected them. Given that my favorite aspects of the Teen Titans title have been the action and the Mike McKone artwork, this issue isn't one of my favorites, but there are some really fun scenes to be found, it all feels like important setup for future stories and Tom Grummett does a pretty good job of solid fill-in artwork.
Probably my favorite sequence in this issue is the one that introduces a new supporting cast member to Superboy's life. Some find this character too Silver Age and hate that he's come back, but I always had a soft spot for the character, and he does seem like a pretty good match for Superboy. I wasn't as wild about the revelation of a Kryptonite crater in Smallville, as it reminds me of my least favorite aspect of the Smallville TV show creeping into comics continuity, the idea that Superman's arrival on Earth brought death and catastrophe with him, but Johns at least places the impact outside of town.
There are two other sequences that I really enjoyed focused on Kid Flash and Wonder Girl, respectively. Johns has done a really good job of turning Impulse from a character I thought had run his course (no pun intended) to one that I now find much more interesting, as the relatively naive Bart Allen starts to cope with being smarter and trying to become a hero, rather than just sort of rolling along with short attention span. Meanwhile, Young Justice fans will be pleased to see one of Wonder Girl's friends from that series show up in a pretty effective scene that is a nice commentary on friends helping each other out.
In terms of art and production, the issue is more uneven. The letters and caption boxes change color throughout each sequence, with a notably hard-to-read and unfortunate choice being made with red on black in the Superboy sequences. Meanwhile, Grummett's artwork ranges from really strong to just passable, and whether that's strictly down to having two different inkers or deliberate stylistic changes, it is unfortunate. Grummett does some terrific action sequences with Kid Flash and Trickster, some gorgeous work on the Titans Tower sequences and a beautiful rain-soaked bookend sequence with Deathstroke. However, he's also got an unfortunate similarity in the faces of Superman, Superboy and Robin, with a few panels of Superboy in his secret identity looking almost identical to Clark Kent, specifically looking older than he should.
Though there were forced circumstances in both fights, the conflict between the Titans and Deathstroke in issue #5 and the fight between the Titans and JLA in issue #6 were a lot of fun, and had me really excited about the book. This issue's somewhat talky, quieter tone cooled my interest somewhat, but at the same time it shows that Johns has put a lot of thought into these characters and how they interact, and there are some real shining moments in this issue as well.
